By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRRE, St.Kitts (Friday 6th September 2019)-Credible information reaching this media house indicates that the Ministry of Education has received the report from a second mold testing carried out at the Cayon High School and that there are plans to do another testing by Bureau of Standards sometime next week as officials have yet to determine when the learning institution would be safe to begin the new school year.
While it is unclear at the time when the results arrived on island, it is understood that the ministry received a report sometime on Wednesday 4th September.
This media house has also discovered somewhat conflicting detail sharing as it relates to when the mold presence issue was addressed early on.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Shawn Richards gave an update about the school during the sitting of parliament on Tuesday 3rd September indicating that the results from a recent test were expected this week.
“We would have gotten the test back wasn’t it for the fact that hurricane Dorian would have been in our area sometime during the course of last week and as a result of that we had some difficulties with getting out the samples be it via FedEx or DHL. The samples, however, have since been sent and as you might be aware yesterday was a holiday in the US and so we’re hoping that perhaps between today and tomorrow, we would have the results of the recent tests which were done at the Cayon High School.”
According to him, “During the summer vacation, the entire school was fumigated to treat termite infested spaces at the school. At present, a professional cleaning company is contracted to clean the entire school. All spaces have been power washed and sprayed with chemicals that would remove any final trace of mold infestation.”
Richards disclosed that as a result of the extensive cleaning, that is underway at the school, the Ministry of Education conducted yet another meeting with the staff of the Cayon High School on August 29th at ICCS (Immaculate Conception Catholic School) auditorium.
At 4:30 p.m. on that same day, officials from the Ministry of Education met with the parents and guardians of students attending the school. The audiences at both meetings received the salient information from the first tests carried out by the Bureau of Standards. Both audiences received the commitment of the Ministry of Education that the Cayon High School will be declared safe before teachers and students are allowed to reoccupy the space at this institution. Based on this commitment, the opening of the Cayon High School for the 2019/2020 school year has been delayed. The ministry is working assiduously to have the cleaning of the Cayon High School completed before a decision on its reopening is made.”
The Education Minister had indicated during his opening remarks that upon receipt of a written report by the Cayon High School indicating that it was evident that mold was present at the school’s science labs, the Ministry of Education responded swiftly and decisively.
He said the ministry immediately engaged the Bureau of Standards to conduct testing in the science labs and elsewhere and that tests carried out “confirmed that mold was present in the science labs.”
“As matter of fact the report, Mr. Speaker, is stated that the only two labs that is a biology and a chemistry lab had an amount of mold that was in excess of what would be considered to be acceptable. The report also confirmed that the level of mold found was not significantly high. The science labs were cleaned, cupboards removed and subsequently retesting has taken place,” Richards noted.
According to him, the ministry convened numerous meeting with the staff of the school to give updates on what steps were taken to address the presence of mold in the science labs.
“The concerns of the teachers were addressed; many of their suggestions were taken into consideration in determining the way forward. As a result of discussions with teachers, other spaces on the school’s campus were tested. The results of these tests would be made available on receipt.”
According to a reliable source in speaking to this media house: ” I am not sure who invited the Bureau of Standards to do the initial testing but they did some testing at one of the labs…they did those tests in March and later on they called a meeting and sent home the students. They didn’t show us the report but they told us it (the mold presence) was higher than normal.”
The mold matter took a controversial turn on Monday 26th August when several teachers who showed up for work, stood outside the school’s gate refusing to enter.
The new school year officially began on Monday 2nd September which has seen hundreds of students around the Federation entering and returning to their respective schools.